Parents taking more time for chores than children

Some parents are struggling to balance household chores with quality time for their children.

Published:09:00Saturday 04 February 2017

Parents spend more time taking care of household chores than they do playing with their children, a recent study has found.

Day-to-day admin tasks and cleaning jobs mean parents are struggling to get quality time with their children, but many admit that ignoring the chores leaves them feeling too stressed.

The survey, by bed giant Slumberdown, also revealed that more than three quarters said they need to completely leave the house in order to really make the most of time with their little ones.

And 83 per cent have days where household chores and other commitments leave them feeling like they have not spent any real time with their children at all.

The study found the average parent spends almost four hours a day - the equivalent of more than 59 full days a year - completing household chores, which equates to two months every year.

In comparison, just three hours and 28 minutes a week, or 52 days a year, are spent enjoying time with their children.

The company is now offering parents the opportunity to have their housework done for a year so they can spend quality time with their offspring.

Sally Hotchin, Slumberdown brand manager, said: “Family lives are becoming busier than ever, and unfortunately this means the quality time we get to spend with our children is decreasing.

“That’s why at Slumberdown we are on a mission to help mums make the most of their time with their kids. So mums can focus on being a partner in crime to their children and put the housework to one side every now and again.”

The study of 2,000 parents found that 88 per cent feel they spend a large chunk of their time on household chores and 79 per cent feel like these daily tasks get in the way of spending quality time with their family.

As a result, 86 per cent of parents wish they had more time to spend with their children away from the distraction of the household chores.

More than four in 10 even said their children had made comments or complained about the time they spend cleaning the house rather than playing with them but eight in 10 say they would need to ignore the cleaning or household jobs in order to have enough time with their children; 71 per cent say they find it difficult to leave the chores to pile up.

Sally added: “We’ve come up with a whole load of ingenious ideas for games you can play with the kids without leaving the comfort of your own home. We are also running a national competition to win your house work done for a year, giving one lucky winner more time for fun.”

Further information about the fund of suggested activities and the competition can be found at http://slumberdown.co.uk/win-housework/